Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women. Our immune systems are internal barometers for the primary response to foreign invaders within our body. Despite cancer arising from irregular growth of our own cells, the immune system can still eliminate cancer cells in some patients. Thus, there is interest in augmenting this response. The immune cells found in cancer can be classified by function: helpers, killers, and suppressors. Helpers educate the killers. Killers directly attack and eliminate the tumor cells. Suppressors hinder the immune response and promote cancer growth. We will dissect the role of the B cell, an immune cell recently acknowledged in cancer patients. Our research will study the ability of B cells within organizational immune structures (known as tertiary lymphoid structures) to predict increased protection in patients at high risk of developing lung cancer, i.e., heavy smokers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The vision of the DoD-funded Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) is to eradicate deaths and suffering from lung cancer to better the health and welfare of both Veterans and the American public. This grant will meet the vision of the LCRP, in particular by hitting the following Areas of Interest: (1) improving the accuracy of current screening techniques for patients at high risk for lung cancer development and (2) identifying new targets on B cells for unique and more effective therapeutic options.

Dr. Bruno is striving to strengthen her skillset as a translational scientist by studying the B cell and TLS response in patients as they progress to lung cancer. She has strategically selected her co-mentors to be lung cancer-focused so that they can increase her education on other components within the patient that may shape the overall immune response. Obtaining an LCRP DoD CDA would help Dr. Bruno tremendously in establishing herself within the lung cancer community. Throughout her award, she will receive training on the clinical impact of her research, which will contribute significantly to her long-term goals, which are to (1) increase the reliability and cost-effectiveness of current screening techniques without substantially increasing the time or financial expense for patients and (2) develop new therapies that will treat patients at an earlier stage of lung cancer progression to ultimately increase overall response to immune-based therapies. These studies will have an overt impact on the care of lung cancer patients within the next 5 years, and Dr. Bruno is committed to achieving these goals and becoming a pillar in the lung cancer research community.